


Like a Ship at Sea

by RamblingIntoTheDistance



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Speculation, hypothetical conversation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 17:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17063990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamblingIntoTheDistance/pseuds/RamblingIntoTheDistance
Summary: “What was it like,” Lea asks him, once. The tone is flat, his voice tired.The question is vague, but Riku knows what he’s asking.Riku discusses his possession with Lea.





	Like a Ship at Sea

“What was it like,” Lea asks him, once. The tone is flat, his voice tired.    
  
The question is vague, but Riku knows what he’s asking. He lowers his new keyblade, not sure how to answer.  
  
It’s... different than Way to the Dawn, and it’s strange, but it should feel stranger. He’d had a transition like this before, when Soul Eater had morphed, but this was a far more drastic change and threw him off in new and unexpected ways.  
  
It sits heavily in his hand, and he thinks about the way the eye embedded in the hilt of Soul Eater had reflected the glow from Hollow Bastion’s unfinished Keyhole.  
  
“If you don’t want to talk about it,” Lea tries, backpedaling. “That’s fine too.”  
  
“No.” Riku wishes he could find the words for this. “No, it’s just - give me a moment.”  
  
He thinks back to the near-tangible aura that had surrounded the cloaked figure as it approached him in the halls. Of feeling it like a second skin, heavy and controlled.  
  
“It’s like,” he starts. Lea back to him, focused. “You don’t notice at first.”  Riku doesn’t know how to do this.  
  
“Your,” he stumbles. “Friend. He - he didn’t know anything about it, right?  At least, from what I know.” Lea nods, still staring intently.  
  
“Well, I should have known - all the clues were put in front of me. It was halfway waved in front of my face, even!  But I didn’t.”  
  
He knows he’s rambling, but he’s not sure how to get to where he needs to be to continue. Riku takes in a deep breath, draws a hand down his face, and tries to think.  
  
“Picture a ship. You’re at the wheel, there’s a compass behind you. Maybe you’ve got a map, but it’s vague. At that point, I wasn’t even looking at my map, let alone the compass behind me.  
  
“Then you’re given a new map, and it’s a detailed one, and you know where you’re should be going.  
  
“And then maybe there’s a voice at your back, and it’s telling you things. It’s telling you how to get there faster, what steps to take next.    
  
“And - and it all makes sense!  Yes, of course you turn here. Yes, of course you fire at that ship. Of course - it’s what you need to be doing, after all.  
  
“I can only tell you this from my experiences, but - I. I didn’t realize there was something wrong until my boat was hit, hard, and the map was gone for a second and I spun around and the compass was all wrong and the surroundings were all wrong, and-.” Riku stops himself.  He lowers his hands away from where they’ve come to gesture in front of him, and gives a little laugh.  
  
“And yeah,” he finishes. “Then, when the voice came back, I fought it.  
  
“Of course,” Riku huffs, “Ans - sorry, Xehanort pushed me right into the metaphorical ocean shortly afterwards, and had no trouble without me, but it gave Kairi enough time time to get away, at least. And Sora enough time to pull his ridiculous stunt, I guess.”  
  
Lea is frowning, now, and he’s seen that expression around far too often recently.  Riku wishes, not for the first time, that he could provide the answers for everything. That he could solve the problems and then they could all go home.  He wishes that he could even say for sure that they would all get home in the end. But he’s not Sora - he doesn’t have the same seemingly boundless well of confidence and bravado that Sora seems to find so easily.    
  
But at least he can help here, a little. “It worked, though, in the end, is what I’m saying.  Maybe you can get him to look up, find the compass reeling.”  
  
And here’s the important part. “Even if you can’t, though, here’s the thing. It’s been beaten into my head enough times to finally stick, but maybe you’ll get it after just the one.  
  
“We’ve got your back in this.  Talk to someone. You’re not alone.”  
  
Lea nods, movement a little stiff, eyes a little bright. “Sure.”  
  
Riku huffs again, and punches him lightly on the shoulder. It’s hardly a laughing matter, and not nearly a joke, but -  
  
“Got it memorized?” Riku asks.

**Author's Note:**

> Lea's worried about Isa. As am I. (Very much so.) Hence me writing this. :'D
> 
> Sorry (not really) about the cheesy last line, but the opportunity appeared and I took it. :D
> 
> Feedback would be greatly appreciated!


End file.
